1. Colts have to win the turnover battle
Indianapolis has not been good this year protecting the ball and it has shown. You have to think that if this offense would have done better with protecting the ball, the record would be a little different than it is now. The Colts have nine turnovers and have only forced three. There is definitely room for improvement on both sides of the ball.
One of the biggest issues has been fumbles. Matt Ryan has expressed how it is frustrating that he has repeatedly turned the ball over. He talks about the fine line that there is between extending plays and knowing when to take your loss and move on. Ryan is not the only one to blame. Jonathan Taylor had a costly fumble last game as Indy was driving with an opportunity to tie the game. The Colts need to make sure that they do a good job protecting the ball Thursday against a feisty Denver defense.
#Colts QB Matt Ryan has 9 fumbles through four games. Here's Ryan on cutting those down. Head to https://t.co/33Ugb8JEvw for plenty of #Colts coverage via insiders @JoelAErickson & @NateAtkins_ ---> https://t.co/446GfpVc8G #INDvsDEN pic.twitter.com/tP975hrF7q
— Clark Wade (@ClarkWade34) October 4, 2022
Now, on the flip side. Indy has got to do a better job forcing turnovers. Three is not good enough at this stage of the season. Last year, the Colts had a top turnover ratio in the NFL. That is not the case this year as they are near the bottom in that category. If Indianapolis wants to have a chance at a primetime victory on Thursday, they are going to have to find a way to force some turnovers.
One thing to keep an eye on is Melvin Gordon. He has put the ball on the ground three times this year already and even fumbled once last week against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Colts need to be trying to do what they can to make him cough it up some more.
While all these things are things the Colts have been bad at to this point and can improve on, we are only in Week 5. The Colts are notorious for slow starts but ultimately giving themselves a chance to make the playoffs. If they can clean some things up and get healthy, this team will be okay.
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